It probably won't surprise you to know that 'neutral' shades have long since been the nation's favourite - probably due to the fact that many people are nervous of using colour for fear of making a ghastly (and costly) mistake! However, if you stick to these simple guidelines, you can confidently use colour throughout your home.
1. The magic number
Yellow silk cushion
It’s generally considered best to keep to three colours: a base colour, a main contrast colour and an accent colour, which is used more sparingly to highlight specific areas and draw the eye around the room.
To create the 'brights' look in your home, opt for sharp contrasts such as white or black as your base, teamed with clashing brights for a look that’s modern and edgy! For something more sophisticated, choose softer tones, such as stone and charcoal, with just one bold colour as your accent.
With such a huge array of colours to choose from, the options can be a little overwhelming. For inspiration, look to the catwalks – trends in home styling are now very closely linked to the world of fashion. John Lewis' range of plain silk 45x45cm cushions are great value and come in over 20 different colours, regularly updated to include the latest fashion shades! Two of my favourites are the orange and blue.
2. Contrast and accent
Jelly Beans rug
A foolproof way to use bright colours in your home is to choose one prominent multi-coloured item – perhaps some bold feature wallpaper, a funky duvet cover or a brightly coloured rug, and then simply select two colours from within it, to use as your contrast and accent shades, teamed with a complementary neutral base colour. The multicoloured Jelly Beans rug gives you plenty of scope to find your colour!
3. Fashion colours change with each season
Marmite canvas
So for longevity, keep the main elements of your room in classic neutral tones but add colour with your accessories. Paint one wall in a strong colour as a backdrop to some bold artwork, and pull the look together with a few carefully selected items such as lamps, cushions, or vases.
The great thing about this is that you can easily update your room without too much expense, simply by re-painting the wall and changing a few small items.
These funky atmospheric LivingColors lights are a really flexible investment item as they allow you to choose from an infinite number of colours, to suit your mood or decor.
John Lewis' 'made to order' range of artwork allows you to select your favourite image from a large selection, and have it made up into a canvas to the size of your choice. How about the Marmite canvas?
4. For some extra ‘wow factor’
Red Portia chair
Add a bold ‘statement' piece of furniture, like this compact Portia red chair (also available in more soothing shades if you want to play a little safer!) Or for something totally unique, you can order some of John Lewis' sofas and chairs in your own choice of upholstery fabric, or in Harlequin or Sanderson fabric.
To achieve a 'show-home' look, choose a dynamic colour palette and use it throughout your entire home. This can help to give a feeling of added space because the rooms 'flow' into each other. To ensure each room still looks individual, simply change the emphasis on the colours used; for example, the colour used as an accent in one room can become the main contrast colour in another.
The stylish Pantone range of mugs come in a dazzling array of colours, based on original paint colourcharts - so there’s no excuse not to have a perfect match to your decor! I’m particularly keen on the zingy Process Yellow colourway.
More from mydeco:
- Take advantage of unmissable special offers and voucher codes on home office essentials.
- How to decorate with red
- Can grey be glam?
